Method and apparatus for producing aseptically packaged sterile articles

ABSTRACT

Aseptically packaged articles made of a plastics material are made by forming them in a moulding machine at a sterilizing temperature, introducing them while sterile from the machine into a stream of sterile air and packing them in a sterile wrapping in that stream of sterile air.

llnited States Patent Tait [451 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR PRODUCING ASEPTICALLY PACKAGED STERILE ARTICLES 21 Appl. No.:769,557

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 27, 1967 Great Britain..49,052/67 [52] 11.8. CI ..53/l27, 53/25, 53/122 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b55/14, B65b 63/08, 1365b 67/10 [58] Field of Search ..53/2, 25, 111,127

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,215,193 9/1940 Reece..53/l27X 2,685,520 8/1954 Martin ..53/25 X 2,775,079 12/1956 Sarofeen...53/127 X 2,918,770 12/1959 Stocker... ..53/127 X 3,376,688 4/1968Takacs.... .....53/2l FC 3,401,043 9/1968 Finley..... 53/111 RC3,516,218 6/1970 Eisler ..53/25 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 671,71612/1960 Canada ..53/2l FC 877,372 9/1961 Great Britain ..53/l11 RCPrimary Examiner-Wayne A. Morse, Jr. Attorney-McGlew and Toren 5 7]ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures This invention relates toaseptically packaged sterile articles made from a plastics compound andto a method of and apparatus for manufacturing them.

Hitherto, in the manufacture of aseptically packaged articles, the stepstaken to prevent contamination of these articles included eithersterilization by heat, sterilization by means of bactericides or in thecase of articles which were inherently aseptic by reason of their modeof manufacture packaging them in a sterile atmosphere. Articles madefrom plastics compounds, as by injection moulding or extrusion and blowmoulding are inherently sterile by reason of being formed at atemperature at which sterilization takes place and it is with sucharticles that the invention is particularly concerned.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod of producing aseptically packaged sterile articles made of aplastics material wherein the articles are formed in a moulding machinefrom a plastics compound at a sterilizing temperature, the mouldedarticles while sterile are introduced from the moulding machine into astream of sterile air where the articles are packed in a sterilewrapping. The articles may if appropriate be assembled to some othersterile integer or integers before being packed.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is providedan apparatus for producing aseptically packaged sterile articles made ofa plastics material, said apparatus including a moulding machine capableof moulding articles from plastics compound at a sterilizingtemperature, means for introducing the articles without risk ofcontamination to a packing location, means for producing a stream ofsterile air across the packing location, the arrangement being such thataccess may be had to the packing location from downstream of the streamof sterile air for packaging of the articles.

The packing location may be a balanced room, i.e., a room in which thequantity of air blown in is balanced by the air removed, the pressure inthe room being the same as the am bient pressure. Preferably the streamof sterile air is produced by a laminar flow technique.

According to yet another of its aspects, the present invention providesaseptically packaged sterile articles when made by the method or uponthe apparatus described above.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, some embodiments thereof will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of apparatusembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a modified form of apparatus in cross section correspondingto FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates (to a smaller scale) a further form of apparatusembodying the invention; and,

FIG. 5 shows in plan view (to a much reduced scale) a balanced roomembodying the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 a moulding machine 2 is shown disposed upon afloor 4 of a room. In the machine 2, a plastics material is suppliedand/or moulded at a temperature sufficient to result in the productionof inherently sterile articles in the moulds. The moulded articles areintroduced from the machine by a conveyor (not shown) to a packinglocation in the form of a bench 6 over which a laminar stream ofsterilized air is blown. The stream of sterile air is provided, as willbe seen from FIG. 2, by means of a blower 8 drawing air in from thesurrounding atmosphere and supplying it to the bench 6 through a filter10. While the articles are on the bench 6 they are packed either by handor by mechanical means in sterile envelopes after assembly thereto ofany other required sterile' components. Access to the bench 6 is fromthe side of the bench remote from the filter l0, i.e., from downstream.The laminar stream of sterile air carries away any airbornecontamination generated at the bench 6 and prevents articles produced inthe moulding machine from becoming contaminated by contact with thesurrounding unsterilized air.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, arr is removed through a grille 12from the front of the bench 6 downstream of the center of the benchwhere packing actually takes place. Removal of air is due to suctioninduced by the blower 8. The removed air passes through an additionalfilter 14 before being recirculated to the packing location by theblower 8 and by way of the filter 10 mounted at the rear of the bench 6upstream of where packing actually takes place.

In FIG. 4 the moulding machine is shown provided with a chute 16 forintroducing the sterile articles to the bench 6. The chute 16 isprovided with a blower (not shown) for passing sterile air over thearticles to prevent contamination thereof while in the chute l6;alternatively some of the sterile air coming from the filter 10 may bediverted up the chute towards the moulding machine.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 the articles produced in a mouldingmachine 18 are passed directly down a chute 16 onto a bench 20. Themoulding machine and the bench are situated in a room through whichsterile air is blown and removed; flow of sterile air in the room islaminar, going from one wall 22 to a wall 24 facing it. A chair 26 isplaced downstream of the bench 20. The flow is balanced, i.e., thequantity blown in equals the quantity evacuated and the room pressureremains the same as ambient pressure. In a modification of thisarrangement (not shown) the moulding machine is disposed outside thebalanced room and the articles produced in the machine are introducedinto the room down a chute.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for aseptically packaging sterile articles made of aplastic material within a working space containing a nonsterile ambientatmosphere, comprising a molding machine capable of molding articlesfrom a plastics compound at a sterilizing temperature, a bench spacedfrom said molding machine and located within the unsterilizedatmosphere, said bench providing a horizontal surface for packaging themolded article in a sterile wrapping, means for conveying the moldedarticles from said molding machine to said bench and for maintainingsaid molded articles in the sterile condition during passage from saidmolding machine to said bench, and means for providing a flow of sterileair across the horizontal packaging surface of said bench from one sidethereof for maintaining a sterile atmosphere for carrying out thepackaging operation and so that direct access is available to thehorizontal packaging surface of said bench from a location downstream inthe direction of the flow of sterile air in which downstream locationsterile conditions do not prevail.

2. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for providinga flow of sterile air comprises a' blower mounted adjacent said benchfor drawing air in from the surrounding atmosphere and for supplying alaminar flow of sterile air across the horizontal packaging surface, anda filter disposed in the path of the sterile air between said blower andthe horizontal packaging surface of said bench.

3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein means forming a vent insaid bench adjacent its horizontal packaging surface and downstream inthe path of sterile air flow from the location of the packagingoperation for removing the sterile air after it traverses the horizontalpackaging surface.

4. Apparatus, as set forth in claim Ll, wherein said means forming avent comprises a grille in said bench, said grille connected to thesuction inlet of said blower, another filter positioned between saidgrille and the suction inlet to said blower for filtering the air suckedinto said blower.

5. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for conveyingthe molded articles comprising a chute arranged to contain a supply ofsterile air to prevent contamination of the molded articles as they arebeing conveyed from said molding machine to the packaging surface.

6. Apparatus, as set forth in claim I, wherein walls forming a roomenclose said bench, and said means for providing a flow of sterile airarranged to maintain the quantity of air delivered into said room equalto the quantity of air evacuated from said room for maintaining saidroom at ambient pressure.

1. Apparatus for aseptically packaging sterile articles made of aplastic material within a working space containing a nonsterile ambientatmosphere, comprising a molding machine capable of molding articlesfrom a plastics compound at a sterilizing temperature, a bench spacedfrom said molding machine and located within the unsterilizedatmosphere, said bench providing a horizontal surface for packaging themolded article in a sterile wrapping, means for conveying the moldedarticles from said molding machine to said bench and for maintainingsaid molded articles in the sterile condition during passage from saidmolding machine to said bench, and means for providing a flow of sterileair across the horizontal packaging surface of said bench from one sidethereof for maintaining a sterile atmosphere for carrying out thepackaging operation and so that direct access is available to thehorizontal packaging surface of said bench from a location downstream inthe direction of the flow of sterile air in which downstream locationsterile conditions do not prevail.
 2. Apparatus, as set forth in claim1, wherein said mEans for providing a flow of sterile air comprises ablower mounted adjacent said bench for drawing air in from thesurrounding atmosphere and for supplying a laminar flow of sterile airacross the horizontal packaging surface, and a filter disposed in thepath of the sterile air between said blower and the horizontal packagingsurface of said bench.
 3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, whereinmeans forming a vent in said bench adjacent its horizontal packagingsurface and downstream in the path of sterile air flow from the locationof the packaging operation for removing the sterile air after ittraverses the horizontal packaging surface.
 4. Apparatus, as set forthin claim 3, wherein said means forming a vent comprises a grille in saidbench, said grille connected to the suction inlet of said blower,another filter positioned between said grille and the suction inlet tosaid blower for filtering the air sucked into said blower.
 5. Apparatus,as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for conveying the moldedarticles comprising a chute arranged to contain a supply of sterile airto prevent contamination of the molded articles as they are beingconveyed from said molding machine to the packaging surface. 6.Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein walls forming a room enclosesaid bench, and said means for providing a flow of sterile air arrangedto maintain the quantity of air delivered into said room equal to thequantity of air evacuated from said room for maintaining said room atambient pressure.